Frank Buckles, the last living American WWI veteran, passed away Sunday at his home in Charles Town, West Virginia. He was 110 years old, having marked his 110th birthday on February 1, 2011. In recent years, Buckles worked with groups seeking to establish a Memorial in Washington, DC for all WWI veterans. READ Related Story.
Rest in peace Mr. Buckles — we salute you for your service, as we salute your fellow soldiers who passed before you. 4,734,991 Americans served in uniform during World War I. They fought on land and sea, in the first true global conflict. By the end of WWI over 15,000,000 soldiers and civilians worldwide had died in that conflict, including 120,000 Americans (as many from disease as from wounds). A thousand U.S. soldiers died every DAY in the 3-week Meuse-Argonne offensive.
The Last Doughboy
Army veteran Frank Buckles was the last surviving American “Doughboy” who fought in Europe in “The Great War”. His story is a profile in patriotism (and youthful exuberance). When only 16 years old, he tried to enlist in the U.S. Marines. They turned him down, so he joined the Army, lying about his age. He served in Britain and France as an ambulance driver, then helped escort German prisoners home to Germany after the surrender.
In an interview a few years ago, Buckles recalled his service in the Great War, explaining why he joined the Army at age 16: “When your nation calls,” Buckles said, “you have to go”. (Read recent interview.)
Following WWI, Buckles wanted to see the world, so he took work with a steamship company. That job placed him in the Philippines when the Japanese invaded. He was captured and interred in a prison camp for three years before being liberated. To learn more about Frank Buckles and his experiences in WWI and WWII, CLICK HERE for USAToday Feature Story. (Highly recommended–worth reading.)
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is seeking college-age counselors for its highly popular Three-Position Air Rifle Summer Camps for high school athletes. Camp Counselor positions are open to collegians who have completed at least one year of college and are members of an NCAA or college club rifle team.
Applicants must be available to work and travel from 24 May through 29 July 2011. Selection will be based on academic performance, shooting experience, coaching and youth leadership experience, and references.
DEADLINE: Applications must be received by 18 March 2011.
Counselors are paid $400-$500 per week (depending on seniority) plus $30 daily per diem. All travel and lodging costs are covered by the CMP once the camps begin, though the counselors must provide their own transport to the training location (Anniston, AL) and back home at the end of the summer. Job duties primarily consist of working with groups of five or more high school athletes at five-day summer camps, following a camp curriculum designed by DCM Emeritus Gary Anderson.
Interested candidates may download an Application from the link below and send it to Sommer Wood, CMP Summer Rifle Camps, P. O. Box 576, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452. Forms may be faxed to Sommer Wood at: (419) 635-2573. Email questions to swood@odcmp.com. Applications must be received by 18 March 2011. Applicant notification will be mailed by 4 April 2011.
Employment will begin on 24 May with a training session at CMP South Headquarters in Anniston, AL. The 2011 camp schedule includes five full-length, three-position air rifle camps, one advanced standing position camp, providing support staff at the Three-Position National Junior Olympics and a three-day air rifle clinic. The staff will have the week of 9-16 July off to compete in the USA Shooting National Championships. A complete 2011 camp schedule is provided below:
Cannon Safe has a new series of gunsafes with many smart features that we wish were found on ALL premium safes. There are many other quality safes out there, but we were pleased to see how Cannon equips its new Commander Series Safes. Whether you end up with a Cannon safe or not, if you are shopping for large gun safes, check to see whether it offers these important features found in the Cannon Commanders:
Reinforced Steel Frame
Cannon Commanders has a 5.75″ double-steel composite door, double-steel reinforced door frame, multiple re-lockers and 1.5″ active-locking bolts on the top, side and bottom of the door. Each safe is predrilled for floor bolting.
High-Quality Lock
Too many gunsafes have cheap digital locks that can fail unpredictably. We recommend that all gunsafes have commercial grade rotary (mechanical), or digital locks. On Cannon’s Commander safes, contents are accessed with a commercial grade Type 1 electronic lock that is backlit and protected with three layers of extra-hard 60+ RC steel hard-plate. You can also order a mechanical lock if you prefer. A good commercial-grade mechanical lock, maintained properly, will last a couple lifetimes.
Door Seal that Expands with Heat
A good door seal is really important in the “real world” ability of a safe to protect its contents during a fire. Many other safes claim fire-protection because they have some sheet rock panels inside, but they lack critical door-sealing. The Commander Series has an Intertek-ETL verified fire rating of 1200° F for 90 minutes and features a triple fin intumescent cold smoke expandable seal and heat-activated door seal that expands when exposed to heat.
Internal Power and Computer Hook-ups
A state-of-the-art internal power supply system with two 110 power outlets, USB port and RJ45 Ethernet connection keep computers and other electronics charged and connected. An electric dehumidifier is available as an option.
Built-In LED Lighting
In our Gun Safe Buyers’ Guide, we recommend the use of efficient LED light clusters. Cannon has gone this one better, with multidirectional LED lights that activate when the door is opened and shut off when closed, providing a bright clear view of the safe’s contents.
Versatile Door Storage System
Many safe owners like to use the door for rapid access to handguns, knives, Maglites, tools, and other security gear. The Cannon Commander Safes ship with a custom door panel organizer that holds dozens of handguns and accessories.
Cannon Commander Safes are offered in two models and six colors (gloss black, matte black, gray, white, tan, dark red, and green). Cannon offers a lifetime, hassle-free, zero-cost warranty. If a Cannon safe is ever damaged due to a fire, natural flood, or burglary Cannon will cover all costs to repair or replace the safe, even if the owner is not the original purchaser. (Contents are not covered).
Model: Commander CO43
Factory-Direct Price: $3,149.21
Weight:1457 lbs.
Dimensions:72”x40”x28” (depth includes dial and handle)
Gun Capacity: 36 (actual capacity can vary depending on gun size)
Model: Commander CO54
Factory-Direct Price: $3,519.81
Weight:1672 lbs.
Dimensions:72”x50”x28” (depth includes dial and handle)
Gun Capacity: 48 (actual capacity can vary depending on gun size)
Here’s important news for handloaders. Alliant Powder has introduced a new medium-burn-rate powder: AR-Comp™. This new powder was developed specifically for AR-style rifles. Alliant says that AR-Comp powder is “ideally suited for heavy .223 and .308 match bullets”. We presume, from that description, that the powder will have a burn rate similar to Varget. The AR-Comp powder, produced in Sweden by Bofors Nobel, is an enhanced temp-insensitive reformulation of Reloder 15. The burn rate is slightly faster than Reloder 15, according to Alliant.
Alliant Claims AR-Comp is NOT Temp-Sensitive
We have limited information about AR-Comp, and we have not yet been supplied with a test sample. We have confirmed is a double-base extruded powder, and is an upgraded version of the Reloder 15 formulation. Alliant claims the powder meters very well and delivers “consistent pressures and velocities across temperature extremes”. This new powder is supposed to be very uniform from lot to lot. That would be great — if it is true — but only time will tell.
We will try to get a sample of AR-Comp soon and test it in both .223 Rem and .308 Win rifles. We suspect, if AR-Comp suits both the .223 Rem and .308 Win, it should work well in the 6mmBR and 6.5×47 Lapua cartridges as well. Stay tuned — we hope to have more info next week. AR-Comp should be hitting the market in June or July, 2011, provided DOT Classification goes smoothly. It will be offered in both one-pound (#150664) and 8-lb (#150665) containers.
The wizard tool designer who runs 21st Century Shooting has invented a clever yet inexpensive new bench accessory that makes it much easier to turn case-necks. 21st Century’s new Neck Turning Tool Swivel Bracket gives you a “third hand” when using the 21st Century Neck Turning Tool, simplifying the process of neck turning, particularly when using power.
CNC-machined from aluminum billet, 21st Century’s Swivel Bracket mounts right on your bench. You can either attach it semi-permanently with screws or simply clamp it in place. Adjust your neck-turning tool (red unit in photo), at any angle from 0-90°, for best viewing of the cutter operation. With your neck-turning tool attached to the bracket, you have easy access to the arbor adjustment screw, arbor screw clamp, and the bracket rotation clamp screw. Once you’ve adjusted the angle, and locked the neck turner in place with the supplied Allen wrench, you can concentrate on turning the case, either by hand, or with power assist. The neck-turning tool is held securely; however, rubber bushings on the bracket allow the neck-turning tool to “float” just enough to work properly when using power.
This new Neck Turning Tool Swivel Bracket is simple, but very effective. It really does help you turn necks with greater ease and a greater sense of security. Importantly, the bracket lessens hand fatigue. No more “cramped hand syndrome” from struggling to hold the neck-turner steady. We really like this little device, and it only costs $19.95. However, for the time being, the Swivel Bracket ONLY works with the 21st Century Neck Turning Tool — it does NOT work with a Hornady, K&M, Neilson, or Sinclair Neck Turning Tools. For more info, call 260-273-9909 or visit 21stCenturyShooting.com.
We’ve had our original SEB coaxial front rest now for a couple years and we are impressed with its quality and performance (although the SEB NEO Rest is even more sophisticated). One of the great features of the original SEB Rest is the front sandbag. It employs double-layer construction on the sides and bottom, and has a unique microfiber material on the surfaces contacting the stock. The bottom of the bag is hard and flat, so the bag sits nice and square. We whole-heartedly endorse the SEB front bag — it is an outstanding product, affordably priced at under $25.00.
We’ve tested both 3″-wide and 2 1/4″-wide SEB front bags and they work great. With guns ranging from 22 lbs. to 10.5 lbs. we’ve found that that SEB front bags perform very, very well. They hold their shape, and don’t “hump up” in the middle. The microfiber material, in our opinion, is superior to either Cordura or untreated leather. Even without stock tape on your gun, the microfiber allows the rifle to slide very easily. With stock tape, friction is super-low. You don’t need to put silicone, sailcloth lube, or powder on the front bag — it’s not necessary.
Less Vertical, Better Groups with SEB Front Bag
One of our testers was experiencing vertical when shooting a 6 PPC with a different front bag. He tried both leather and Cordura front bags, and experimented with various amounts of sand fill, but the results were unsatisfactory. The leather and Cordura bags either did not hold their shape, or, with more sand fill, they were too hard and the gun jumped. Then our tester switched to a SEB front bag. He noticed an immediate improvement in gun handling and his targets showed reduced vertical with the same load. Problem solved.
Bag Works with Other Front Rests Too While the SEB front bag is optimized for use with the SEB coaxial rest, it can be adapted to other front rest tops. The standard version is made from black microfiber with brown leather, but it is also available with black leather sides. The standard vertical thickness for the 3″ or 2 1/4″ section between the ears is approximately 1″, but other dimensions are available on request. The latest SEB front bags have a filler spout on each side. SEB front bags are available in the USA from Ernie Bishop in Gillette, Wyoming. Call (307) 257-7431, or email ernieemily [at] yahoo.com. Call for current pricing, which should be under $25.00 for a standard SEB front bag (shipping extra).
Tom Manners of Manners Composite Stocks, makes very high-quality, stiff rifle stocks. Tom has designs for hunters, varminters, F-Class Shooters, and tactical shooters. All his stocks are strong for their weight, and you can count on a Manners stock to have correct geometry and first-rate build quality.
However, until recently, if you wanted a Manners stock with a molded-in finished, you had to settle for a solid color, in some variation of tan, green, gray, or black. That has changed. Manners Composite Stocks now offers molded-in camo, multi-color stock finishes. You can get these molded-in MSC Camo finishes for no extra charge over the regular price of the stock.
Manners’ MCS Camo color schemes consist of three colors: a base, which is usually 40%, and two lesser colors that usually are 30% each of the total finish. Tom reports: “We do our best to maintain the color balance of the Camo, but each one is done by hand and two stocks are never the same. There are 5 different molded-in versions of our MCS-Camo and 2 solid colors (OD Green and Coyote Tan).” The molded-in finishes are currently offered for the following stock models: MCS-T, TA, T2, T3, T4, T4quad, T5 and T5A; Special Order: Mcs-T4A and T2A.
Tom tells us: “The molded-in finishes are smooth compared to our painted finishes. For the guys that like the textured feel of our painted stock but want the durability of a molded-in finish, for $35.00 extra, we offer the ArmourGrip option — a textured dead flat clear finish that is applied to the stock.”
Custom Painted Finishes Offered Also
In addition to the new line of molded-in finishes, for an extra fee, you can order a custom, painted finish. This can be applied to either the stock, or to the complete rifle (more coverage is more money). Samples of custom paint jobs are shown below. All colors are a dead flat finish to minimize light reflection and have a non-slip pebble finish. The polyurethane enamel paint used is very durable. But, like all paints, it will scratch if dragged over rocks, limbs, and other sharp surfaces.
A reader recently asked: “Where can I get an RCBS ChargeMaster Combo at the lowest price?” We’ll we scanned the web, checking a dozen vendors. Cabelas.com sells the ChargeMaster for $299.99, and most other vendors are well over three hundred, into the $320-$340 range. Right now the best deal we found was at Natchez Shooters Supply, which sells the ChargeMaster scale/dispenser combo for just $279.95 (item RC98923).
$50 RCBS Rebate Available Through End of March
Here’s a way you can save a cool fifty bucks on the purchase of an RCBS Chargemaster or other reloading gear. Now through March 31, 2011, RCBS is offering a $50.00 rebate if you purchase at least $300.00 worth of qualifying merchandice. So, if you buy the ChargeMaster from Natchez, and add a couple small reloading tools (such as a loading tray and chamfer tool), you can knock $50.00 off the deal. CLICK HERE to download the RCBS Rebate Coupon. To qualify, your Rebate Coupon, along with proof of purchase, must be received by RCBS before April 30, 2011. Offer good only in USA.
Handy Scale Pan Funnel from RCBS
If you purchase a ChargeMaster, we recommend you add a $7.00 accessory — the handy RCBS Scale Pan with integrated Funnel (RCBS item 9090). This unique combo product allows you to transfer the powder charge directly to your cases. Now you don’t have to pick up a separate funnel, put that on the case, and then take the powder pan off the machine and pour powder in the funnel. The RCBS Scale Pan Funnel can save time. And, you avoid the possibility of a spill (or tip-over) when you pour from a normal scale pan into a separate funnel. The hood on the Scale Pan Funnel also helps to keep kernels from bouncing out of the pan when dispensing.
Most of our readers know that MTM Case-Gard offers a vast selection of ammo boxes for pistol, rifle, and shotgun ammunition. However, with such a wide inventory of box styles and sizes, it can be difficult, at first, to select the right box for your particular cartridge and carrying needs. MTM has now simplified that task by publishing comprehensive Ammo Box Charts on its website. Just log on to the Box Charts Page, and select Rifle, Handgun, or Shotshell boxes. That will open a large chart listing cartridge types, small to large, in the left column. Pick your cartridge and you will see all the storage options. MTM even codes the entries so you can see if a box allows Tip Up AND Tip Down storage, Tip Down only, or Tip Up only. For most popular rifle cartridges, there are 20-round, 50-round, and 100-round cases. Below is the first part of the Rifle Ammo Box Chart. The entire chart is four pages long.
New MTM Ammo Belt Pouch
MTM has also introduced a handy product that should work great for rimfire shooters. The new MTM Ammo Belt Pouch conveniently holds 100 rounds (two boxes) of .22LR rimfire ammo. With a sturdy snap latch and heavy-duty belt clip, all you have to do is pour out the ammo, then clip the pouch on your belt or jeans pocket. The Belt Pouch is also handy for saving fired centerfire brass.
Suggested retail for MTM’s Ammo Belt Pouch is a modest $4.95. However, Grafs.com is currently offering the pouch for FREE with the purchase of five (5) or more boxes of rimfire ammo. That’s a good deal if you need some more ammo for your rimfire guns (and most of us do).
Made by the same folks that created Wipe-Out™, and Carb-Out™, the new NO-LEAD Brushless Lead Remover™ really works. Honest. If you are an active rimfire shooter, or if you shoot cast lead bullets in centerfire rifles and pistols, you should try this product. We now use NO-LEAD in our rimfire benchrest rifles, and in some centerfire guns that receive a steady diet of soft-alloy cast bullets (90%+ lead). (With rimfire guns, you don’t need to use NO-LEAD very often — maybe every 300-400 rounds unless you have a real fouler of a barrel.)
If you’ve got stubborn lead fouling in a rimfire barrel, or on a pistol’s muzzle brake/compensator, you should definitely give this stuff a try. We don’t know how but it does soften lead deposits. The manufacturer says you don’t need brushes, but we found that a bit of brushing (after NO-LEAD application) can help remove more serious lead build-up.
Frankly we were surprised to find a lead solvent that really works. We have tried a half-dozen or more other lead “cleaners” that promise to dissolve lead and most of them, we discovered, are nearly useless. There’s a reason for that, as lead is a mineral compound that doesn’t react to typical petrochemical-based solvents. It took the Wipe-Out chemists over five years to perfect a new water-based solution that really does dissolve lead.
NO-LEAD Cleaning Procedure — Read Carefully
NO-LEAD Lead Remover is a clear, red gel that is easy to apply. Just swab it in your bore (or on muzzle brakes) with wet patches or bore mop and let it sit for a few minutes. (The manufacturer says you can leave the NO-LEAD for up to 20 minutes, but that long of a dwell time does not seem necessary with our rimfire barrels.) When it contacts lead it will start to foam and you’ll see that the NO-LEAD solvent turns a pastel pink when it dissolves lead. The pink comes from the formation of lead oxide. After the recommended dwell time, simply patch out the dissolved lead deposits (you can also use a nylon brush for stubborn lead build-up).
NOTE: After cleaning, it is very important that you get all the NO-LEAD out of your barrel, and neutralize it. We recommend following the application of NO-Lead with Wipe-out or Patch-Out to neutralize the NO-LEAD, clear the bore, and remove residual carbon and copper fouling. If you don’t have Wipe-Out or Patch-out, flush the barrel thoroughly with Rubbing Alcohol or even a solution of Dawn dish detergent — then re-oil the bore.
Be Sure to Neutralize NO-LEAD After Use
Remember that N0-LEAD is a strong, slightly acidic chemical that needs to be neutralized after use. If you leave it on a nice, blued barrel for too long, it can harm the bluing. NO-LEAD will remove all the surface oils from the barrel bore. For this reason it is recommended that you neutralize NO-LEAD with Wipe-Out, or Patch-Out, which both contain effective corrosion inhibitors. If you don’t have those products, once you’ve flushed the NO-LEAD with something like rubbing alcohol, then follow with a gun oil. Caution: A petroleum-based gun oil will NOT, by itself, neutralize NO-LEAD. You need to neutralize first, then apply the corrosion inhibitor (or do it all in one step with Wipe-Out or Patch-Out).
Where to Buy NO-LEAD Lead Remover
NO-LEAD Lead Remover costs $9.99 for an 8 oz. squeeze bottle with a flip-top spout. This product is sold directly by Sharp Shoot R Precision Products, www.Sharpshootr.com, or you can purchase NO-LEAD through many other online vendors. For more information, email gethelp@Sharpshootr.com or contact Sharp Shoot R at (785) 883-4444. You can ask for Terry Paul, Sharp Shoot R’s owner and the master chemist who developed the NO LEAD formula.
2011 Match Dates
March 26-27
April 23-24
May 14-15
June 11-12
July 9-10.
August 12-14 Championship Shoot
Extra practice days are: March 13th, April 10th, March 26-27, April 23-24, May 14-15, June 11-12, July 9-10.
The 1000 Yard Range is available for practice on Mondays and Fridays, March 1st to August 31st, from 8:00 AM until Noon. We will have the range all day on Friday before each shoot.
If you’re looking to stock up on cleaning solvents, and you don’t want to carry around fragile glass bottles in your range kit, check out the new line of Montana X-Treme cleaners. These are now packaged in unbreakable aluminum containers. That’s a smart idea that makes a quality product even more attractive. While we like Wipe-Out foaming bore cleaner for regular cleaning, the Montana X-Treme Copper Killer is one of the most effective solvents you can buy for stubborn copper fouling. Copper Killer is used by many top benchrest shooters.
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Frank Buckles, the last living American WWI veteran, passed away Sunday at his home in Charles Town, West Virginia. He was 110 years old, having marked his 110th birthday on February 1, 2011. In recent years, Buckles worked with groups seeking to establish a Memorial in Washington, DC for all WWI veterans. READ Related Story.
The 
Here’s important news for handloaders. Alliant Powder has introduced a new medium-burn-rate powder: AR-Comp™. This new powder was developed specifically for AR-style rifles. Alliant says that AR-Comp powder is “ideally suited for heavy .223 and .308 match bullets”. We presume, from that description, that the powder will have a burn rate similar to Varget. The AR-Comp powder, produced in Sweden by Bofors Nobel, is an enhanced temp-insensitive reformulation of Reloder 15. The burn rate is slightly faster than Reloder 15, according to Alliant.
While the SEB front bag is optimized for use with the SEB coaxial rest, it can be adapted to other front rest tops. The standard version is made from black microfiber with brown leather, but it is also available with black leather sides. The standard vertical thickness for the 3″ or 2 1/4″ section between the ears is approximately 1″, but other dimensions are available on request. The latest SEB front bags have a filler spout on each side. SEB front bags are available in the USA from Ernie Bishop in Gillette, Wyoming. Call (307) 257-7431, or email ernieemily [at] yahoo.com. Call for current pricing, which should be under $25.00 for a standard SEB front bag (shipping extra).
Tom Manners of 
A reader recently asked: “Where can I get an RCBS ChargeMaster Combo at the lowest price?” We’ll we scanned the web, checking a dozen vendors. 
Most of our readers know that 
New MTM Ammo Belt Pouch
If you’ve got stubborn lead fouling in a rimfire barrel, or on a pistol’s muzzle brake/compensator, you should definitely give this stuff a try. We don’t know how but it does soften lead deposits. The manufacturer says you don’t need brushes, but we found that a bit of brushing (after NO-LEAD application) can help remove more serious lead build-up.
